Quality assurance research

External Quality Assurance

Sector Protocol Quality Assurance Research (BKO) 2023-2028

It has been established in the Branch Protocol that practice oriented research at a university of applied science will be evaluated every six years by an independent visitation committee. The aim of the branch protocol is to maintain and improve the quality of practice oriented research and its organization. The universities of applied science can determine themselves which units in the organization will be visited. On THUAS the Centres of Expertise are the units that will be visited.

The Branch Protocol Quality Assurance (BKO) is based on four standards:

• Standard 1: The research unit has a relevant, ambitious and challenging research profile and a research programme with associated goals that have been operationalized in a number of indicators.
• Standard 2: The research unit realizes adequate relevant knowledge in terms of: professional practice and society; education and professionalization; knowledge development in the academic field.
• Standard 3: The research unit's research unit complies with the standards that apply in the field for conducting research
• Standard 4: The manner in which the unit is organized, the contribution of staff and means and the internal cooperation. Networks and relationships make the realization of the research profile possible.

The BKO's recommendation is that knowledge centres carry out a Midterm Review halfway through the assessment cycle to reflect on the results of the assessment and the progress of the quality of the research within the knowledge centre.

Internal quality assurance: PDCA research

The Hague University of Applied Sciences has an internal quality assurance cycle for research, the PDCA Research (on intranet for HHs employees). The PDCA Research aims to bring professorships and knowledge centres, and programmes and faculties into dialogue with each other about plans, achieved results and opportunities for improvement within the research. The cycle consists of annual planning moments (e.g. annual plans) and evaluation moments (e.g. management reports and The Hague Dialogue). In addition, there are one-off planning and evaluation moments, such as long-term plans and reflections on expiring professorships.

Safeguarding the quality of research (projects)

In addition to external visitations and an internal quality assurance cycle at organizational level, quality assurance is also an integral part of conducting research at De Haagse. Lecturers are responsible for the quality of research within their research group.